Bombardier Transportation has appointed senior rail executive, Phil Hufton, as its new Managing Director and Chairman of the Board for Bombardier Transportation UK Ltd, effective from October 1, 2018. In addition, Mr. Hufton will become the Head of Projects UK and lead the UK management team.
“We are delighted to welcome Phil Hufton to our Bombardier team,” said Per Allmer, President, Western Europe, Middle East, Africa and South East Asia at Bombardier Transportation. “He is a proven leader with a deep knowledge of the rail industry and extensive experience in delivering complex railway operations, maintenance and renewals. In his new role, Phil Hufton will drive the performance of our UK business, focus on customer satisfaction and strengthen our leadership team.”
Mr. Hufton joins Bombardier from Network Rail where he was Managing Director, England and Wales. Prior to that, he held various senior executive positions with London Underground, including Chief Operating Officer and Asset Performance Director. His career before London Underground included manufacturing and engineering around the world, mainly in the rail industry.
Mr. Hufton succeeds Richard Hunter as Chairman and Managing Director: Mr. Hunter held the role since 2015. In March 2018, Mr. Hunter was appointed as President of Rail Control Solutions and Wayside for Bombardier Transportation worldwide. After handover, Mr. Hunter will be dedicated to this global role.
In the UK management team, Mr. Hufton will join forces with Andy Derbyshire to focus on current projects and business growth. Mr. Derbyshire joined Bombardier in December 2017 as Director of Critical Projects with responsibility for the AVENTRA product platform. Mr. Hufton and Mr. Derbyshire will drive the organization to maintain its leadership position as the UK’s best provider of rail technology, quality and performance.
Bombardier is the UK’s leading rail engineering and manufacturing company, headquartered at the iconic Litchurch Lane facility in Derby. It employs 4,000 staff, comprising around 2,000 at Derby including more than 400 specialized engineers, and almost 1,000 in London. Services teams maintain various train fleets from 21 sites across the country and the Rail Control Solutions engineering and manufacturing facility at Plymouth produces products for the UK and for export.
Bombardier is the only company in the UK able to design, develop, manufacture, test and service trains for UK and export. AVENTRA trains for the Elizabeth line, London Overground, and the East Anglia, South Western, West Midlands and Essex Thameside rail franchises are designed and built in Derby.